How long have you been a Bandster?

[hiddnstar 167]

Hi. I am in the pre-op phase of supervised diet, waiting for insurance approval. Can people please post how long they have been banded and anything else they would like to say about it? (regrets, celebrations, complications, etc). I thought I was 99 percent sure of this decision, but have read about complications, lately, and the over-all rate seems high -- depending on where I read about it. So Im now a little bit hesitant. Thank you very much for sharing! ~hiddn

[Astrasmom 1]

Hi. I am in the pre-op phase of supervised diet, waiting for insurance approval. Can people please post how long they have been banded and anything else they would like to say about it? (regrets, celebrations, complications, etc). I thought I was 99 percent sure of this decision, but have read about complications, lately, and the over-all rate seems high -- depending on where I read about it. So Im now a little bit hesitant. Thank you very much for sharing! ~hiddn

What your feeling is very normal. I've been banded since Oct. 23, 2009. I have had no complications so far aside from remembering to slow down when I eat and cut my food into tiny portions. Every day is a learning process. But hey old habits do not die just because you get the lapband. The ONLY regret that I have is that I didn't get it done sooner. I have not felt this good in a very long time. I am in a size 14 which I have not been in since about 1989. I went from a size 26 to a size 14 so far. I was borderline everything (Diabetic, cholesterol, fatty liver..etc.) I also had open heart surgery in 2001 for an Aortic Aneurysm and valve replacement. At the time I had a pigs valve put in which only lasts for 10 years. I will need to have the surgery again in a year or so. I chose not to get the mechanical because I didn't want to take blood thinner for the rest of my life. This time around I am getting the mechanical. My cardiologist told me that if I didn't lose the weight before the surgery I could die on the table. I am 43 years old. I DO NOT WANT TO DIE. That was my eye opener. And I am so glad that I made the decision to get this surgery. It has completely changed my life. My self esteem was also pretty much in the crapper. And I had tried every diet you can imagine, only to fail and gain twice as much weight back again.

As with any surgery there are complications. What you are reading is only a minimal amount of people. The complications of lapband are few. Given those 400 messages you are reading. There are 1000's of surgeries performed everyday. And not everyone has band slippage or erosion after the surgery has been performed.

These are all questions that you have to discuss with your surgeon. It's very important that you are open with he/she. They will be able to answer any questions that you might have and put your mind at ease. This surgery is probably the best thing you will ever do for yourself. If I had to do it over again, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Good luck on your journey.

[hiddnstar 167]

Thank you for such a beautiful reply, Astrasmom. I know this is a life-altering, life-saving decision I have made. (that we have ALL made). I will be getting my test results back on June 4th and either get the nod from my doctor, or not at that time. Then on to the insurance company! In the meantime, my body seems to have adjusted to the weight loss diet of 1200 cals a day. I feel so READY for this!! I think attitude, attention to detail, and willingness to ask for help will be key for me.

I'll take my concerns to my doctor :laugh: I have heard such wonderful things about his skill as a surgeon; his bedside manner is somewhat "unique", but so far I have found him to be FUN--and thorough!

Thank you again for your response.

~hiddn

[BetsyB 9]

I'm four months (and 45 pounds) out, and it was THE BEST decision I've ever made.

I worked as an RN in a Houston hospital that was the hub for an earlier incarnation of banding in the 90s; a huge percentage of our patients were banding patients---and I really did not like what I saw, in terms of results. I worked with several banded nurses---and they were not healthy postop because the nutritional support and the procedure simply had not come far enough yet.

I also had patients who required reversal due to complications.

I swore I would never, ever be banded.

Only after a good decade plus, things came a long way---including my weight! I need to maintain a very low calorie intake in order to lose, and it became clear to me that I needed help. So I started researching the banding techniques now used.

And became sold, pretty darn quickly. The medical literature is quite positive about banding as a "cure" for obesity. BUT---and this is a very big but (unlike mine, which is shrinking!)---all experts agree, 100 percent, that the success of banding is contingent on the commitment of the patient.

IF you are committed to overhauling the way you eat forever, and to exercising routinely for the rest of your life, and to seeing your doctor at regular intervals for band adjustments, you will do very well. If you leave out any part of the equation, you may, however, become very frustrated. (If you read the posts here, you will see this pattern very clearly.)

Is there a possibility of slippage? Of erosion? Yes. A very small chance. I have been made more comfortable about these risks by choosing a surgeon who uses fluoroscopy during adjustments; this allows him to visualize the band and stomach each and every time I see him---making it much more likely that small issues can be caught before they become big problems. The problems may still arise; if they do, I am confident he will find a good solution for me. I trust him implicitly. (And I have to tell you: I don't trust surgeons easily--remember, I'm a former surgical nurse! My point is that one of the most crucial factors in this whole deal is selecting the right surgeon. Start with your insurance company---it will likely lead you to a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Your odds of finding a great doctor at a BCoE are high.)

ETA: I see in your second post that you already have a surgeon you click with--and who has a great reputation. That's terrific! A huge chunk of the battle is won.

In terms of what I'd recommend to prepare for surgery, I'd suggest that you start, now, adopting the behaviors you'll need post-banding. During bandster hell--when you don't have restriction yet, but need to behave as though you do if you want to lose weight---it is much easier to use the appropriate behaviors if you've had good practice. (Small servings, weighing and measuring food, tiny bites, chewing thoroughly...)

As a practical recommendation, if you decide to go forward with surgery, I'd visit bariatriceating.com, and order Inspire Protein powders (even though the influx of new customers means that I have to wait for my order to come off backorder!!)---it is the best stuff available.